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Caitwyn Tabris
All that we expect can be turned upside down in a moment. Be ready for what comes as best you can. React fast when you can't. Overview Physical Appearance Caitwyn is small, even for an elf, but she was a wiry strength to her, which is necessary to pull the high draw weight on the kinds of longbow she favors. Her coloring is closer to Adaia's than Cyrion's, but her eyes are a brilliant green, and her hair is a deep, dark brown that falls into wavy curls when she wears it long. Most often she keeps it back in a braid, though she cut it off after the Deep Roads, to grow it back some years later. Her facial features are delicate, with a straight nose that turns up at the end slightly, and a just-shy of sharp chin. In spite of her rather insane life, she's managed to avoid getting any scars on her face, but she has a few on her arms and legs and on her hands as well (not all traps were easy to disarm). Her biggest scar, however, is on the left side of her back, just under her ribs, where she was stabbed by a darkspawn in the Tower of Ishal. Though Flemeth healed her magically, it seems that wound was severe enough to scar regardless. Personality Caitwyn is, in a phrase, emotionally contained. She has multiple layers of personality between herself and the outside world. In one moment she can be charming people out of their worldly possessions (or convincing them to help her stop the Blight, things like that), and the next she can be stoic, unreadable, and appear unflappable. Most often, people only see what Cait lets them see, and what she lets people see if often calculated to get her what she wants, be it money, stuff, or even respect. But everything real is kept under lock and key. Because of that, she's a hard person to get a read on. Underneath that, Cait still kept a tight reign on her emotions, letting nothing show on her face (unless she wanted it to), or trying to let nothing into her heart, especially after The Worst Wedding Ever. However, as she got to know the people she had met, she came to care deeply for some of them, and therefore they got to see behind the mask Cait kept up. She has flashes of dry humor, which can turn towards silliness around Alistair, especially as she gets older and relaxes into herself a bit, and at base she has a generous and adventurous spirit. It was just very bruised for long time. However, if someone she cares about is threatened, she has a cold anger, and she will methodically destroy whatever is causing the problem. 'Talents and Skills' Growing up under Adaia's watchful eye, Caitwyn learned how to talk people into bad ideas (thus earning money), sneaking through Denerim, lifting purses, burgling houses, and disabling/making traps. She's also crazy good with a bow, firing faster than can be believed, and she's not half bad with a dagger, though she prefers to avoid close combat. Zevran taught her Assassin skills, making her even more deadly with a bow, and she learned how to spot weaknesses in her enemies and exploit them. Duncan taught her how to survive outside of the city, how to translate her sneaking skills from the city to the wilderness, how to set up a camp, navigate, and some other wilderness basics, like shooting birds for food. She learned more from the Dalish elves in southern Ferelden, particularly tracking and hunting large game, and trapping animals for hides and fur. Unknown to many, Caitwyn can actually cook, sew, and do other household chores, all things Cyrion taught her. While she isn't a much of a seamstress or a cook, she did learn how to make pretty amazing bread. Though after joining the Wardens that particular skill didn't see much use. Biography History As a very young child, Caitwyn idolized her mother. To Cait's eyes, Adaia was brave and adventurous and could do no wrong. Adaia, however, saw early on that Cait had inherited more than her coloring and features, but also Adaia's natural skills as a rogue, being quick and clever. At home, Cait had a loving family, and though both her parents worked hard to keep the family in good financial state, they were always home for dinner. Dinner at the Tabris household was a lively affair, their doors often open to others in the Alienage who needed a good meal. But without school to go to, and with Cyrion working at Bann Rodolf's Denerim estate and Adaia working nights as a thief, Cait often had a lot of free time on her hands. Cait filled that free time by being the de facto leader of a small gang of children from the Alienage, Soris functioning as her right-hand man, and they would travel in a pack around Denerim, running errands and delivering letters for pocket money when the weather was good (and also stealing whatever they could get their little hands on, Cait taking the lead there in imitation of her mother), and during the cold months or ill weather, they would hide in taverns listening to stories from sailors, soldiers and all sorts in an effort to avoid any chores at home. When Shianni arrived to live with the family when Caitwyn was eight, and she was incredibly excited. She'd always wanted a little sister, and Cyrion and Adaia made it very clear Shianni was Caitwyn's responsibility to look after her. Deciding the best way to protect Shianni was to literally keep an eye on the younger girl at all times, Cait brought Shianni into the gang. Not long after that, a bored nobleman's son, a boy no older than Cait, sicced his Mabari hound on the pack of children, and Caitwyn led the dog on a merry chase, keeping its interest and allowing the rest of her gang to escape. After that incident, Adaia argued that Caitwyn needed to be occupied, and since they couldn't afford more schooling than what she could pick up from the Chantry and what they could do themselves, Caitwyn was allowed to train with her mother. Caitwyn learned how to be a con-artist, a pick-pocket and a burglar, and while she didn't run her little gang anymore, she still brought home stolen fruit for her cousins, and make sure no one messed with either Soris or Shianni. Caitwyn loved working alongside her mother. She felt so proud when she helped bring in extra money that kept the family in good shape through even the hardest of times in the Alienage. Cyrion, though he disapproved, did not stand in the way of his daughter learning what she wanted. He always made sure to express his pride in her skills, even if he didn't applaud how they were put to use. By the time Caitwyn was ten, she had learned how to pick-pockets with a surprising deftness, and had burgled some of the more impressive estates in Denerim, including Arl Eamon's, though she didn't know who owned the mansion at the time. Always small for her age, Adaia kept Caitwyn's hair cut short when she was young to let her pass as a boy, but as Caitwyn hit adolescence, it became that much harder to hide the fact that Caitwyn was a girl. Never busty or hippy, Cait still began to develop a feminine figure, and as such was more than once on the receiving end of the unfortunately traditional "human men are dangerous" talk that all girls in the Alienage get. Cait, full of confidence in her abilities as a sneak and with her knife, didn't pay much attention after talk number 345,975. However, she found out first hand how dangerous human men could be at thirteen, when she picked the wrong mark to pick-pocket in the Denerim market, and he attempted to rape her to "teach her a lesson." Overcoming her shock, Cait managed to defend herself at the last second, killing the man with the knife her mother insisted she always carry. Deeply traumatized, Cait doubled-down on her training, switching from a confident, breezy adolescent, to a stoic, driven young woman, only opening up with her family, and even then she always seemed to hold back, just a touch. Caitwyn still wished to be just like Adaia, but that all came crashing down when she was fifteen and Adaia was found dead, killed by guards after she was caught on a job. A job she had refused Caitwyn from assisting in. At first, she refused to believe her mother was dead, but after the funeral, Caitwyn broke down in front of her father, and they cried together on the floor of their home. From that point on, Cait hung up her bow and tried to be the good daughter Cyrion had secretly despaired of ever having. She learned all the traditional "wifely" skills, and dinner at the Tabris household returned to being an important part of Cait's life, and she did her best to find contentment in the different kind of life she was learning to lead. Then she got the news: her father had found her a match, and he would be coming from Highever just after her eighteenth birthday, along with a bride for Soris. With an impending double-wedding, Cait thought she was about to be an adult in the eyes of her people, and settle for a life of keeping a home, working an honest job, and raising children. All of that, however, was not to be. In-game Caitwyn focused at first on survival, on keeping herself safe, when conscripted into the Wardens. She thought she was leaving behind her family, never expecting to find another family in the world outside Denerim's Alienage. Prologue Cautiously hopeful about starting her new life, Caitwyn's wedding quickly turned out to be The Worst Wedding Ever. Abducted by Vaughan and his thugs, Caitwyn watched, powerless, as they dragged Shianni away, and was determined to fight to her last breath when Soris showed up. Caitwyn found that her mother's training, three years in disuse, came back to her quickly, and she murdered her way through that whole house, and didn't give Vaughan the time of day when she found him. She put him down like a rabid dog, and she will never regret that. Back in the Alienage, she took all the blame on herself, knowing it was the only way to keep Shianni and all of her family safe, even if it meant laying down her life. However, Duncan was there and conscripted her into the Grey Wardens, saving her life, but still taking her away from her family. Though she was initially cautious of Duncan, a stranger for all that he knew Valendrian and her mother, Cait had never heard of him before, and she was alone with a human man in the wilderness, which was a shock in and of itself for someone who had never been outside Denerim's walls. During their travel to Ostagar, though, Caitwyn slowly came to trust Duncan, asking him to teach her how to survive in the wilderness because that was where Grey Wardens were most of the time, not cities. Ostagar Internally terrified at the prospect of being around so many human men, Caitwyn kept her outward composure when at the camp, equipping herself as best she could, even though she didn't know what was in store for her, not exactly. When she walked by the kennels, she was startled by the mad barking, recalling how she'd been chased by Mabari before, but the one, sick suffering dog caught her attention. Never liking to see a creature suffer needlessly, even if it frightened her, she agreed to muzzle and help the dog if she could. After meeting Jory and Daveth, and shocked at Jory's politeness to an elf, though not at Daveth's easy manner, she wasn't sure what kind of place this was. Especially as even common soldiers called her "my lady" owing to her status as a Grey Warden recruit. Caught between confusion and being ready to gut whoever had the misfortune of touching her, she eventually found Alistair, who startled honest laughter out of her when they met, and that was the first time since her failed wedding that she laughed. Thinking him probably the strangest human she'd ever met (not that she'd met many exactly, most of the humans she'd talked to were Chantry Mothers and Sisters), she ventured into the Wilds. In the Wilds, she encountered darkspawn for the first time, as well as Morrigan. Not one to look a gift-witch in the mouth, Caitwyn was happy to retrieve the Warden Treaties that they had been sent out for. Though Flemeth set off all kinds of alarm bells (it takes a bullshitter to know a bullshitter, and Caitwyn had been conning people since she was eight), she also knew there was no point in antagonizing a possibly powerful mage in her home turf. When it came time for the Joining, Cait was angry to learn that she might not live through this whole Warden business right off the bat, and she was horrified when Daveth died. Jory's death sat heavy on her as well, for the wife and child he had left behind, and seeing Duncan kill Jory shook her. Still, when offered the Chalice, she didn't flinch. When she woke up, she was a Warden, and she made her final preparations before joining the planning session. Though she wasn't upset at being sent to the Tower of Ishal to light the beacon, she knew a safe job when she was given one. Or, what should have been a safe job. Lighting the beacon, neither she nor Alistair expected Loghain's betrayal, and fighting a last stand against waves of darkspawn, eventually they were the last two living things in the Tower, but only barely. Caitwyn was stabbed in the back by a genlock that had snuck up behind her, while Alistair also had grievous wounds, she passed out from blood loss just as another wave of darkspawn gained the top of the tower. Then she woke up, naked, Morrigan nearby, in a warm hut and no wounds. There in the Wilds, with the dubious advice from Flemeth, she and Alistair decided to try to do this crazy Grey Warden thing and end the Blight and get justice for what was done at Ostagar. Then Morrigan was volunteered to join them, and Cait had no idea how much bickering she was due to hear. Lothering On the road to Lothering, Caitwyn was found by the dog she had helped save at Ostagar, and she was a little confused about what do with him at first. She didn't even know his name, so she settled on Maethor, one of the handful of Dalish words she knew, meaning "warrior." Since the dog answered to it, Caitwyn suddenly found herself with a war dog on her hands she had no idea how to take care of. Luckily, Mabari don't need taking care of, they take care of you, and she had a war dog and a warm, furred buddy to snuggle up with during cold Ferelden nights out in the open. At Lothering, Caitwyn's luck kept up, and she ran into Leliana who was clearly bound and determined to follow Cait, as well as Sten, the qunari in the cage. Deciding that it was cruel to leave someone to die by darkspawn, regardless of what they'd done, and that Sten might actually want redemption, she talked the Chantry Mother into releasing Sten into her custody. Which apparently was a thing she could do as a Warden, and it still startled her to be deferred to, considering, you know, elf. Getting out of the village just ahead of the horde, Cait traveled north, having heard the rumors about trouble with the mages, and learning that Arl Eamon was sick and likely not to be immediately helpful. Circle Tower The Tower in shambles, Caitwyn and Co. braved aboninations, demons, and endless staircases to reach the top of the tower to rescue First Enchanter Irving and save the Circle. Thus began the first of several object lessons, echoing what Flemeth had told her, "more shadows lurk in the hearts of men than in the minds of demons." Her time in the Fade, however, made her realize how quickly she had come to rely on the presence of her new companions, if only to keep her from being alone, from drowning in her own mind (and talking to herself... a lot). Deciding that her companions were people she had to protect, she jolted them all out of the Fade one by one, and then they took on Uldred, saving Irving and the Tower both. On the way south to Redcliffe, they were attacked by an assassin who seemed all too happy switch sides. Though initially dubious, Caitwyn agreed to let him join the crew. They really did need all the help they could get, and he had information about Loghain's operations. Redcliffe Leaving the Tower, Cait heard that undead were in Redcliffe, which sounded like more of a problem than just "the Arl is sick", so the crew headed south. Rallying the townsfolk (or charming/extorting them to participate), Caitwyn helped the village live through another night of undead assault, and then headed through the secret passage into the Keep itself. Where there were demons and undead both! When she encountered Jowan, she wasn't sure what to make of him, and she was learning to avoid needless loss of life where she could, so she let him go. While that didn't make everyone happy, it did mean between him and Wynne, she was made aware of the different options for saving Connor and the people of Redcliffe. Having seen what blood magic can do first hand at the Circle, and wanting nothing to do with it herself, she took the time and the risk of going back to the Circle. Unable to go into the Fade herself, she deputized Morrigan for the job, reasoning that while Wynne was a Circle mage, she was a healer, not a fighter. That caused a lot of friction in the party, but Caitwyn asked Morrigan to be her proxy, to do what she would do, if she could. Morrigan agreed, and thus Redcliffe was saved! The crew spent a few days in Redcliffe recouping, helping rebuilt, and joining in the wake/victory party that was held in the village. Though Eamon was still ill, the villagers were happy there were no more undead, like most reasonable people. That was where Cait first encountered full strength alcohol and promptly got very drunk, very quickly. Luckily, between Maethor and Alistair, she made it to her bed without incident. Not that she actually remembers that. Honnleath Caitwyn was sold a Golem control rod and ended up with Shale (and prevented the demon from possessing the little girl), and subsequently there were a lot fewer birds around camp. Cait regrets nothing! Orzammar/Deep Roads Since they were in the area, Caitwyn led the crew north to Orzammar to get help from the dwarves. Initially excited to see the fabled underground kingdom, the whole area quickly lost its luster when she saw the stark stratification of dwarven society and how cut-throat and underhanded dwarven politics were. She did tasks for both Behlen and Harrowmont, mostly to actually meet both of them to get their measure, and neither of them impressed her. Though Harrowmont seemed more honorable, he was also mired in tradition, while Behlen stuck her as scheming shit, he at least wanted to try to change things. However the Deep Roads and Branka waited. Deciding that they couldn't risk both Grey Wardens, Caitwyn brought Shale and Morrigan along, in addition to Oghren, with the rest of the party waiting in Orzammar. Just when she was getting used to the lava and the darkspawn, they caught up to Branka, learning the truth about Broodmothers and giving Cait more nightmare fodder. Once Cait learned how golems are made and that Caradin wanted to destroy his own work, Cait did so without hesitation, killing Branka in the process. Returning to Orzammar, Cait was deeply shaken by everything she had learned, but she kept her composure all the way to the Assembly, where she crowned Behlen king, giving him the power he craved. She hoped he choked on it. The crew left Orzammar, now with Oghren, the world's drunkest, weirdest uncle. Return to Ostagar On the way to Denerim, Cait followed a trail back to Ostagar, and learned one of the reasons why Loghain wasn't terribly fond of Cailan. Oh dear, those letters to Celene were pretty, uh, not good. But they gave Cailan a funeral, and left. Denerim 1st Visit Even though they needed to find that researcher for the Quest of Sacred Ashes, Cait went straight for the Alienage, wanting to see her family. Only to find out there had been a purge and apparently a plague. She was about to go roof-top jumping that night and get inside when it took the combined arguments of basically her whole party to stop her. Frustrated and terrified for her own family, that was not the best way to meet Alistair's horrid shrew of a sister, so Cait dragged him out of there as quickly as she could. Then they found the directions they needed to get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. However, there was more work to do in the east of Ferelden. Warden's Keep Cait put Sophia Dryden to rest and allowed Avernus to continue his research, albeit "ethically", whatever that means at this point. But the idea that she could be cured of the Taint was too good an opportunity to pass up. She did not drink the creepy super juice. While she didn't hate being a Warden, she had no intention of letting herself or Alistair die young or down in the Deep Roads. Ever. Brecilian Forest Enthralled with the notion of meeting the Dalish elves (the stuff of legends! how her people should be!), again, she found out that they're no better or worse than anyone else. She helped the people of the clan as best she could, and initially was set to follow through with Zathrian's plan. Once finding out (again) that the monsters were people before, she convinces Zathrian to lift his curse. Though she still likes the Dalish she did meet, in general, she stops holding them up as the best way to be an elf, and she tries to figure out how to be herself. Haven/Temple of Sacred Ashes Though Cait is hardly observant, she is Andrastian, and found the whole dragon-cult thing pretty crazy. She refused the offer to poison the ashes, and helped Brother Genitivi with his historical research. (She helped get a book published! Her! An elf from the Alienage! Deal with it, humans.) It was the Trials that pushed Cait to her limits, bringing up all her guilt about leaving Shianni behind, and how her own trauma has been affecting her life. There was little time to reflect, however, as they raced back and cured Eamon. She did kill the Dragon on the way back, and that bolstered her spirits a bit. Because, DID YOU SEE? WE KILLED A HIGH DRAGON!!!! Alistair got the final blow (actually in game, he did!) and she thought it was pretty hot. And overall, it was pretty sweet fight. And hey, killing a high dragon is a pretty good exercise in expiating a lot of emotions that are hard to process. Denerim 2nd Round - Alienage/Landsmeet Finally able to have proper run of Denerim, under the protection of Arl Eamon, Cait was able to help Leliana defeat Marjoline, help Zevran with his little Crow problem, and help Slim Couldry with his crime wave. Then Queen Anora's servant shows up, and they make a bid to rescue the Queen. After releasing Riordan and a few other hapless souls, Caitwyn killed Arl Howe. The crew freed the Queen, and Caitwyn allowed herself and Alistair to be taken into custody rather than fight or reveal she was rescuing the Queen, both options being too risky with non-combatants along. Also, Caitwyn knew no cage could hold her, at least not for very long. Rather than wait for rescue, Caitwyn put all her rogue skills to good use, escaping from Fort Drakon with undeniable flair. When they returned to Eamon's estate, Caitwyn and Alistair burst out laughing because it had just been so ridiculous. Then it was time to sober up, as Anora told Caitwyn about what had happened in the Alienage. Caitwyn all but ran back to her people to help them, so proud to see Shianni still standing up for their people. She got to the bottom of several problems in the Alienage, and then tore through the slavers in a cold rage, and, to the surprise of all who traveled with her, cried and clung to Cyrion when they found him, moments away from being shipped off to Tevinter. Then it was time to get ready for the Landsmeet, and Caitwyn did a few favors for nobles to garner support. That said, she never really trusted Eamon, and suspected that he wanted Alistair on the throne for reasons of his own. Besides, Alistair had already made his choice. If Cait believes in anything, its that people should get to make their choices, and that their choices should matter. Seeing as how neither of them had much control over their lives until this point, Cait dug her heels in and Eamon could not convince her that Alistair was "destined" for the throne. Or that Ferelden needed someone of Therin blood on the throne (and seeing as Anora was likely barren and nobles intermarry, there's got to be Therin blood all over the place in Ferelden nobility, so... who cares?). When it came time to fight Loghain, in Ferelden fashion, Caitwyn was all ready to go toe-to-toe with him (and use all her sneaky tricks), but Alistair shot her a look, and she let him take the fight. By the time it was clear that Alistair was going to win, Caitwyn saw Anora's face and almost, almost, stopped the fight, to give Loghain a chance to yield, because Caitwyn had almost lost her own father. But she didn't, knowing that for all Loghain was a skilled warrior and general, he had proven to be unstable and would not necessarily let Anora rule unimpeded. So Caitwyn kept quiet, and Alistair killed Loghain. Anora was crowned Queen and sole ruler of Ferelden, and Caitwyn and crew were off to the Relief of Redcliffe. The Final Run After the Relief of Redcliffe, Riordan dropped the "you gotta sacrifice yourself" bomb on Caitwyn and Alistair, and it shook them both. When Morrigan offered Cait a way out, though it required Alistair's, ah, "participation", Cait's distaste for using people for dubious purposes couldn't win out against her drive to survive. She was able to convince Alistair, and then they marched on Denerim. Caitwyn took Alistair, Morrigan and Zevran for her final run, and at the end, Cait and Alistair attacked the Archdeamon at the same time, not sure if the whole ritual would actually work, so maybe they could try to go out together? But it did work, they both survived, and the Fifth Blight was over. For her Boon, Caitwyn asked that Shianni be installed as Bann of the Alienage. Post-game From Awakenings through Inquisition, Caitwyn Tabris was kept busy as the Warden-Commander of Ferelden. Until she found what she had been after for years: a cure. Awakenings Since it was Anora's brilliant idea to give Cait Amaranthine and Vigil's Keep, Cait did her best to rebuild the Wardens and do right by the area. She ended up with a full recruit, helping her second cobbled-together friend-family thing, and managed to save Amarathine and the Keep, because Cait believes in preparing for the worst and helping innocent people where she can. While she was horrified to find more Broodmothers (Maker whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?), she gave the Architect some consideration, but since there was no way to know if his next efforts would cause another Blight, she deemed his methods too dangerous to be allowed to continue. Warden-Commander Caitwyn dealt with the golem problem in Amgarrak Thaig, and then was off to follow up a lead on Morrigan. The two women had become close during the Blight, and Caitwyn wanted to try to help her friend if she could. Caitwyn let Morrigan go through the Eluvian, and returned to Vigil's Keep. There, Caitwyn took charge, commanding the Wardens of Ferelden, building up their numbers, and working to keep a lid on any darkspawn activity. She tried to visit her family when she could, and she even thought about bringing Cyrion to Amaranthine, but she saw her family less and less, not keen on going back to Denerim or the Alienage there. After it came to light that Anders had blown up the Chantry, Caitwyn tracked down Marian Hawke and almost started a fight with her because Caitwyn had worked up a nice, icy anger at that point. Thankfully, more reasonable people prevailed (Varric and Alistair), and the two women compared notes on what had happened to Anders. That got them to comparing notes about what was going on in Thedas. Deciding they should stay in contact, Varric and Caitwyn arranged dead-drops to communicate in case something came up. When there was a sudden, massive return of red lyrium, Caitwyn was ready to work with Hawke to figure out what the hell was going on... when Avernus's historical research turned up a lead out west, but he couldn't follow up on it as he was too frail. Knowing this might be their only chance, Caitwyn and Alistair had an argument about who should do what. Caitwyn and Hawke made a deal: Alistair could stay to help with the red lyrium/Warden calling issue, and Caitwyn would get support in the form of Merrill to help investigate the cure, since it would likely involve blood magic. Leaving for the west, Caitwyn found the cure with Merrill's help, and was ready to lift the Warden's curse when she found out Alistair had not returned from Weisshaupt. Post-DAI WORK IN PROGRESS. Literal fic in progress right now. Sorting it out sloooooowly. Relationships Caitwyn's relationship with her family has grown distant over the years. Initially protective of Shianni (and Soris), her guilt over what happened to the Alienage, her own distaste for the place, and her responsibilities as Warden-Commander has made her stay away from going back to Denerim, which makes her feel even more guilt. Though Cyrion faithfully writes to her, still, because he's the best dad, her letters back to him are by necessity short, unable to tell him most of the things she gets up to. If pushed, she would admit that she misses her family terribly, but she just can't make herself go back. During the Blight, she expected to be fighting alongside her fellow Wardens, but instead ended up with a motley collection of friends, some of whom became like family to her. Wynne was one of the easiest people for Caitwyn to get along with, a calm, wise presence, who shifted camp dynamics greatly, helping everything run better. Cait respected and admired Wynne for finding her own peace after everything she had been through. Though they had some tension around Cait and Alistair's relationship, when Wynne admitted that those two crazy kids were legit in love, Caitwyn actually hugged Wynne for admitting she had been wrong and wishing them the best. Zevran was a surprise for Caitwyn because he was so affable and easy going, though like her he hid a lot of hurt underneath. He trained her in assassin methods, and they became fast friends. Though he flirted with her outrageously, she never reciprocated because she was fairly certain he did it on reflex. She did eventually tell him to stop, and it was only later she realized that he actually meant it. That didn't stop them from remaining friends, or from Zevran offering Alistair, um, "advice." Or gifting them the Thedas equivalent of a "sex for dummies" book, because Zevran is thoughtful like that. In spite of the smell, Caitwyn actually liked Oghren, in a keep him at arm's length and don't breathe too deep kind of way. He was hilarious to her because she mostly couldn't believe such a caricature of a person existed, and a useful part of training, not that he was always aware he was Cait's training dummy thanks to his mighty alcohol consumption. Sten fascinated Caitwyn, and she found his quiet peaceful to be around. At the start, she would just sit next to him at camp and enjoy the silence. Since Caitwyn's ability to be silent was unusual in Sten's eyes, and her tendency to ask pertinent questions rather than frivolous ones, she slowly earned his respect. In return, she respected him, and he was the one who taught her about tactics and strategy. They were still quiet-time buddies, though, with Maethor hanging out at their feet in the continual hopes of treats. Thinking she'd have a golem, not a person on her hands, Shale turned out to be more than Caitwyn bargained for, but Cait loved that walking rock-wall so much, if only for the fact that Shale made perfect mobile cover. Not that she ever told Shale that. Initially, Caitwyn liked Leliana, even though Cait thought Leliana was a little bit touched in the head. Cait also loved Leliana's stories and was in awe of the other woman's education and poise. But Leliana's unthinking comments about elves were very off-putting for Cait. Cait was polite but distant to Leliana for a time after that, and it a while for Cait to really like being around Leliana again. That changed when Leliana lost her mind over nugs. No one who liked those creatures that much could be all bad. That and Leliana helped Cait do her hair after she cut it off and suddenly didn't know how to handle short hair, which started them doing silly, girly things together. Maethor, her Mabari, is the best boy in the whole world. Caitwyn still isn't comfortable about unknown large dogs, but Maethor and any puppies he sired are the best of all possible creatures in her book. At Vigil's Keep, she became good friends with Anders, Nathaniel, Sigrun, and Justice. While she had a lot of sympathy for Velanna and understood exactly, exactly, where she was coming from, Caitwyn found Velanna's bitter hate towards humans, fueled by what happened to her sister, hard to deal with. It was a classic case of "you are so like me in some ways, that I don't like you very much." Alistair Those who know about Cait and Alistair don't always get them. Cait's outwardly a hardass, no nonsense kind of elf, who is either charming or serious depending on if she needs something from you. Alistair is, well, Alistair. But he made Caitwyn laugh, and still does, and underneath his irreverence, he has a good heart and a deep well of kindness. She adores him for it, how he cares so much about things and people, and his curiosity about arcane things even though he was a Templar. He's her touchstone, her way outside of her own head when things get to be too much, and someone she can always count on. They had a slow start, though they bonded over losing the Wardens (a second chance at having a place to belong for the both of them), and both having lost their mothers. Caitwyn was initially wary, but he continued to make her laugh. Tentatively, she began to play along when he made jokes, and she found that, well, it was an enjoyable way to spend the time, joking around with Alistair. Caitwyn found that she liked Alistair a lot, and could easily consider him a friend, which was why she was so happy when she found his mother's amulet and was able to give it to him. Because that's what friends do. Right? They're just friends. Yup. The transition from friends to lovers was much slower, and much rockier than from strangers to friends. Cait was incredibly skittish, thanks to her past trauma and her mother's persistent warnings about human men, and she did her best to put those out of her mind, especially after Alistair gave her The Rose (which she still has in her possession thanks to pressing it dry and finding some lacquer). However, when he tried to kiss her, it was after the Deep Roads and extra dose of trauma about the Broodmothers on top of everything else in Cait's head. She fled, leaving Alistair very confused, and then hid with Morrigan for a time. When Alistair ponied up and approached Cait (getting threatened by Morrigan for his trouble), Cait thought he deserved to know what was wrong with her. Then it all came out, when she was sexually assaulted at thirteen, the events of The Worst Wedding Ever, and her ingrained/taught fear of human men, all of it brought to the surface by the Broodmothers. So when he kissed her, it was like warning bells went off in her head, and she just ran. Convinced he would reject her for having something wrong with her, feeling dirty all over again, Caitwyn braced for the worst. Instead, Alistair gently told her that she could take all the time she needed, she could call the shots with them. No more surprise gifts or kisses, unless she said such behavior would be okay. That was the first time Alistair saw Caitwyn cry, and though she didn't fall into his arms, she did reach out and grab his hand. He sat with her, and from then on they took careful steps, getting Caitwyn slowly used to being touched. The kissing helped. As they continued to travel together, they eventually started sharing a tent, though they didn't actually start being intimate until after helping the Dalish. Alistair was true to his word that Cait got to call the shots, and they finally consummated their relationship when Cait snuck into Alistair's room when they were in Redcliffe castle after retrieving Andrastre's ashes. That began the trend of Cait sneaking around places to spend time with Alistair, later at Arl Eamon's Denerim estate, and then at Vigil's Keep. Though Cait believed Alistair probably would have made a good king, she saw what power did to people, and couldn't quite believe that Eamon didn't have plans of his own for Alistair, so she supported Anora. Alistair was happy to leave kinging behind him, but when Riordan dropped the bomb about the Archdeamon, Cait felt like screaming, like totally losing it, because she knew Alistair would try to save her even if it cost him his life, and she doubted she could stop him. When Morrigan made her offer, Cait had to beg Alistair to go through it, because she couldn't bear to lose him. Then, with the Archdeamon defeated, Cait and Alistair settled into being full time Wardens, rebuilding the order in Ferelden, Caitwyn mostly based at Vigil's Keep and going on big missions, while Alistair served as her First Lieutenant, criss-crossing the countryside to keep darkspawn down. When Alistair was at the Keep, they ostensibly slept in their respective quarters, but a few people knew the actual nature of their relationship, Nathaniel being one of them. Cait and Alistair would find reasons to go on "expeditions" together now and again, or simply did patrols or sweeps of the local area to buy themselves a few days together without being observed. As time went on, however, Cait began to be more haunted by the fate that awaited her in the Deep Roads, and she tried to get Alistair to promise to kill her before the darkspawn could take her away. That caused an argument (he calls their spats discussions, but Cait calls 'em like she sees 'em), and it caused a near total breakdown in communication. Thankfully, Leliana showed up to visit, and she was able to mediate a little, or at least convince them to be in the same room. Cait laid it all out for Alistair, and he said he already knew. His compunction wasn't solely about killing her, however, but about promising to do it and not being able to. He was afraid he'd fail her when she'd need him most. With that out in the open, Cait backed down. Instead, Zevran helped her make a poison capsule which she carried on her at all times. Alistair hates knowing its there, but its why he knew he couldn't keep her from following up on the lead for the cure. If she was to ever be free of her nightmares, she had to be rid of the Taint. When they separated on their respective quests before the events of Inquisition, they promised each other this would be the last time they would be apart. She made Hawke promise to keep him safe, which Hawke did in return for Caitwyn promising to look after Merrill. Cait agreed, and ventured into the west, trying to find a way to save her life and the life of the man she loved more than anything. Morrigan Caitwyn and Morrigan got along fairly well at the start, both of them practical people who were primarily focused on survival and stopping immediate threats. Caitwyn quickly came to see that Morrigan also had no idea how to behave around other people, which explained pretty much all of Morrigan's sniping at people. They started becoming something like friends when Caitwyn trusted Morrigan to act on her behalf in the Fade when facing down Connor's deamon. Morrigan had not expected to be trusted like that, and Caitwyn openly praised Morrigan's skill with damaging magic as to why Cait picked her instead of Wynne. That prompted Morrigan to talk to Cait about Flemeth, her grimoire, and to open up in general. Caitwyn understood what that took better than most, and she never mocked Morrigan for the other woman's rare flashes of honesty. Slowly, they became very comfortable with each other, and they formed a strong bond going through the Deep Roads, considering one can only talk to Oghren for so long, and that Shale only really spoke to Caitwyn at that point. It was after facing down the Broodmother and Branka, on the way back to Orzammar, that Cait had a bit of a breakdown. Not being noticed by Oghren or Shale was easy, but Morrigan saw Cait slip away and found her throwing up and completely losing it. Morrigan matter-of-factly helped clean Cait up and asked her what that was all about. Cait haltingly explained how all of this brought back all her past trauma, how its like having a scar where you don't move right anymore, but its in your head. Cait asked Morrigan not to tell anyone else, to keep the secret, and Morrigan agreed, once again amazed that Caitwyn was trusting Morrigan with so much. That was the start of the two women being not just friendly, but real, honest friends. That was why Morrigan threatened Alistair, however, when he tried to find Cait after their first disastrous kiss. Then, when Cait took care of Morrigan's Flemeth problem and found out about Flemeth's life-extension treatments, Cait was horrified and was glad she helped keep Morrigan safe from the old bat. Cait would often sit with Morrigan at her fire, and they would spend time gathering herbs to make potions, and food in the forest to supplement their rations. Morrigan's natural ease in the woods helped Caitwyn learn even more woodscraft, and she liked spending time with Morrigan. Caitwyn never doubted that Morrigan offered the Dark Ritual in an attempt to save her life. Cait was never jealous of Morrigan for sleeping with Alistair or having his child, her regrets about that were tied up in using people and making Alistair do something he most emphatically did not want to do. By the end, Caitwyn trusted Morrigan with her life, and when they parted that first time, Caitwyn felt like she was losing a sister. The chance to find Morrigan again is what spurred her on two years later, and when Morrigan left through the Eluvian, Caitwyn wondered if she would ever see her heart's sister ever again. She did see Morrigan again, several years later, and finally met Kieran, too. Before Morrigan spent time in Serault, she brought Kieran to Vigil's Keep (and it just so happened Alistair was on a Deep Roads mission at the time), for Caitwyn to look after. Caitwyn did so without hesitation, and was glad to have met the lad and seen how well he was doing. Kieran and Maethor took to each other like a house on fire, and when Morrigan came to collect her son, she almost had to take a puppy with her. Luckily, Cait had already promised all the puppies to other people, so Kieran left empty handed. Again, Cait wondered when she would see Morrigan next, but was glad to that Morrigan, though changed in some ways, was still very much herself. Miscellaneous Likes/Dislikes If you asked her, Caitwyn would say she likes practical things, things that have a purpose or a function, but she has a great fondness for flowers, not having many in the Alienage. She likes roses, mostly because of Alistair, but her favorite flower is the violet. They're delicate looking but suprisingly hardy. Cait also can't ever get enough fresh fruit. It was expensive, and though her family was better off than most, they often bought dried fruit because it lasted longer. She also loves sweets, but since she rarely had them as a kid, most desserts are actually too sweet for her. She still eats them, just not very much of them. Though she grew up a city kid, she's grown to love the wild places, and is particularly fond of looking at the ocean. That said, she doesn't like swimming much and will only go in the water if Alistair and/or Maethor are around. Her reasoning: she can't shoot at things in the ocean, the water messes with arrows. Neither can she see threats coming. It wigs her out. Conversely, she loves heights, getting up to the tops of buildings or going to the highest branch of a tree or climbing a rock face, she can't get enough of it. Other things she likes: plays, music, her war-bow of doom, fire arrows, ice arrows, any kind of arrow really, and bad jokes (necessary, considering her partner) Things she does not like: evil people doing evil shit and thinking they can get away with it, B R O O D M O T H E R S, her eventual demise in the Deep Roads, Alistair's eventual demise in the Deep Roads, and poorly done roasts (honestly, its not hard if she can do it! get it together!) Strengths/Weaknesses Caitwyn a curious person and has done her best to mitigate her lack of formal schooling since becoming Warden-Commander, learning history mostly, but she never took it further. She often keenly feels her lack of education when talking to some better educated people, and she does her best to cover what she doesn't know. She does, however, actually have a talent for languages, which is largely undeveloped. When travelling with Merrill to find a cure, she learned what she thinks is just enough Dalish to get by, but she can have full on conversations in the language. Her biggest weakness, however, is her difficulty communicating or trusting people. Though she does find people she can trust, Cait does not open up to new people easily. Physically, highly agile, her delicate fingers very good at disabling and making traps, and she's strong enough to pull an impressive draw weight, but she can't bear to be in armor for too long, and though her Warden abilities keep her relatively healthy, she's not what anyone would call "sturdy." Fears In case it wasn't already patently obvious, Cait is deeply afraid of the fate that awaits her and Alistair in the Deep Roads. It would keep her up at night as she got older, and though the knows being a Warden would technically protect her from being made a Broodmother, she can't rule out the possibility that some darkspawn would try regardless. Being raped to death by darkspawn is pretty much her horror factory. Ultimately, Caitwyn fears a lack of control, which is something she's struggled with her whole life considering how little control she's had of it at all. When she's in a situation where she can't get a handle on something or someone, can't find the lever to pull to make the pieces start to click together, she gets deeply afraid. Granted, her response to fear is to find the source of the problem and remove it, but that isn't always possible. When that's the case, she can work herself into a pretty wound state (while still appearing calm and collected to most people), and Alistair has to hug her until she spills her guts about what's bothering her. Hopes/Dreams For a long time, Caitwyn tried not to think about what life could have been. Before her failed attempt at a wedding, she didn't exactly want to get married. She still did want adventure, deep down, but she was trying to be the good daughter she was supposed to be. Then she got an adventure, and she thinks back to what her father said, how he had hoped for grandchildren one day. Being a Warden, Caitwyn knows that isn't in the cards, so she focuses on her work and making whatever life she can with Alistair. And their dogs. However, when the cure for the Calling is possibly out there, Caitwyn starts to dream again, even though she knows she shouldn't. Recipes Caitwyn is hardly a gourmet chef, but she can make simple, decent fare, and she learned most of the basics from Cyrion and a few more things from Morrigan. Rosemary Bread - It's best to prepare this the night before so it bakes up nice in the morning Ingredients * 3 cups all-purpose flour * 1 3/4 tsp salt * 1/2 tsp active dry yeast * 1 1/2 cups water room temperature * 2 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary plus 1 Tbsp whole leaves * Kosher salt or cracked sea salt for top of bread Instructions # In a big bowl mix the flour, salt, rosemary, and yeast together. Put salt on one side of the bowl, the yeast on the other to prevent the salt from directly mixing with the yeast. # Pour water into the bowl and using a spatula or a wooden spoon mix it until well incorporated. # Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on your counter for 12 to 18 hours. # Preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Add your cast iron pot to the oven as it's heating and heat it as well until it's at 450 F degrees. # Remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid from it. If you want to make sure your bread doesn't stick to the pot you can sprinkle some flour or cornmeal on the bottom of the pot. # Flour your hands really well and also sprinkle a bit of flour over the dough. With your floured hands gently remove the dough from the bowl and roughly shape it into a ball. Take the ball of dough and drop it into the pot and sprinkle the Kosher or cracked sea salt on top of the bread. Cover the pot with the lid and place it back in the oven. # Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, after which remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. # Remove the bread from the pot, it should fall out easily. Let cool completely before slicing into it and serving. Fruitmince Pie - it is best to prepare the fruitmince mix two weeks before you want to use it. Trust me. Fruitmince Ingredients: * 500g (3 cups) mixture of raisins, currants and sultanas (use jumbo or golden sultanas if you can get them) * 140g (1 cup) dried apricots, chopped * 85g (3/4 cups) dried cranberries * 85g (3/4 cups) mixed peel (If you cannot find Mixed Peel, add in a mix of the other dried fruits to make up the weight difference) * 150ml (1/2 cup) brandy * zest and juice 1 lemon * zest and juice 1 orange * 175g (12 tablespoons) melted butter or suet * 100g (1 cup) fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped * 200g (1½ cup) brown sugar * 1½ tsp ground cinnamon (or more to taste) * ½ tsp ground nutmeg (or more to taste) * ½ tsp ground clove (or more to taste) Instructions: # Place the dried fruits and mixed peel into a large bowl. Pour over the brandy, zests and juices. Stir, then cover and leave to soak for 24 hrs. (I have done this step for 4 hours when I'm rushed) # Tip the mixture into a large saucepan with the remaining ingredients and stir well. Set over a medium heat and, once the suet has melted, turn up the heat and bubble for a few mins. Pack while hot into sterilised jars. Leave in a cool, dark cupboard for at least a fortnight, or for up to 6 months. To make the pie: * 2cups all-purpose flour * 1/2teaspoon salt * 2/3cup lard * 6 - 7tablespoons cold water * 1/2 of Homemade Fruitmince recipe * Bit of milk to brush on top * Sugar for sprinkling Instructions: # Either using the cut-in method or the rub-in method, mix lard and flour. Add cold water until it comes together to form a dough ball. Keep cool for 1 hour to let rest. # Split in half, roll out one section of pie and place in pie pan. # Fill raw dough with fruitmince # Roll out second half of pie crust and cover the pie, and crimp the edges together in desired method, ensuring a good seal. Cut vents into top of crust. # Brush top with milk, just enough to coat, and then sprinkle with sugar. # Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top. If the edges brown too quickly, cover with foil to protect them. # Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving. 'Links' Reddit Headcanon Threads: Tarot Cards Modern AU Halloween and Fears Songs for your OC and Changing One Thing Reddit Writing prompt Threads: Maethor's perspective of his Master and her chosen partner Water, grey, surprise, knowledge shared A Disturbing Image, Courtesy of a Companion The Dark Ritual and Attempted Absolution- Warnings: Dub-Con, Recovery, NSFW Non-Reddit links (AO3, DeviantArt, Tumblr): Wed to Blight - A re-hosting of Reddit Writing prompt answers and hopeful future home to some works in progress. S.H.A.L.E. - Super Heavy Armored Long-range Executioner Unit- gift fic from Pobobo; Caitwyn tries to use Shale as a mobile firing platform. It goes about as well as you'd expect. Gallery Cait Pre-Wedding.jpg|Caitwyn Pre-Worst Wedding Ever Cait in Field.jpg|Cait in the field Cait Emotes!.jpg|A rare emote from Cait appears! Cait Lives!.jpg|Cait ain't dead yet Cait - let the bickering begin.jpg|Cait's about to hear so much bickering Cait and Alistair - starting far apart.jpg|Cait and Alistair starting far apart Cait is done with your shit.jpg|Cait is done with your shit Cait and her BEST BOY - Imgur.jpg|Cait and her BEST BOY by /u/Ohnocantthink image1.jpeg|Caitwyn Commission by /u/buttholecentral Caitwyn in a tree by theduchesse.jpg|gift sketch by theduchesse Category:Hero of Ferelden Category:Rogue Category:Elf Category:Assassin Category:Ranger Category:Ranger Category:Tabris Category:Alistair Romance Category:Zinjadu